Iowa's governor Tom Vilsack will be joining Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee for Sunday's Little Rock Marathon. For Vilsack, it will be his second marathon, having run last fall's Des Moines marathon in 4:57. A spokesman says the two governors are sending a message that health begins with personal responsibility, good diet habits, and exercise. Vilsack is an avid runner who trains seriously. Most evenings after work, he changes from his suit and tie into his running clothes and heads out into the night to log some miles, accompanied by an Iowa state trooper. The governor runs through the cold Iowa winters, and recalls one night when the windchill was minus 20 and he ran eight miles. He listens to his favorite group ZZ Top while he runs, proving at least this governor is not all business.

Ah, don't think of it that way. Everyone is different. After all, the top marathoners can finish in under 2:10, so we are all pathetically slow in comparison. I have lots of respect for anyone who trains hard for a marathon and completes it, no matter what their time.